The present invention relates to a solar furnace, and more particularly to a solar lighter, specifically as related to cigarette and other tobacco products which may be ignited by means of heat from concentration of the sun's rays and directing concentrated rays onto the object to be ignited. The ignited substance is therefore free from the contamination of fuel, chemical or other foreign substances. The invention has the advantage of being immune to wind and dampness. It potentially reduces the risk of accidental fire resulting from an open flame, being extremely useful for fishing, hiking, skiing and other outdoor activities. The invention may be permanently installed on a fishing rod, ski pole, or the like, or it may be portable.
Although the invention is principally applicable to lighting tobacco products such as cigarettes and cigars, it is also suitable for cutting monofilament fishing line and, by removing the detachable base, it may be used for starting fires from soft wood for a variety of purposes.
It has been well known for many years that solar energy can be concentrated by a lens to focus onto an object to heat the object to a high temperature, and, if combustible, to set it on fire. An early patent which utilized a lens to concentrate light onto a stump to ignite it and burn it out for removal was Rieke U.S. Pat. No. 612,675.
Wiquel U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,014 teaches a solar cigarette lighter having a hollow tube with a lens at one end and a focal point at approximately the mid-point of the tube near a stop which prevents the cigarette from extending further into the tube. This patent is also limited by the requirement that ribs project inwardly from the inside wall of the tube to center and guide a cigarette. Wiquel's apparatus is specifically limited to the lighting of a cigarette. The present apparatus is not so limited, but encompasses cigarette, cigar and pipe lighters as well as monofilament line cutters.